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Theology of Revelation
The Theology of Revelation is the sacred science (or sacred study and knowledge) of God in Divine Revelation, as well as in other revelations which he gives us.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14580a.htm This theology deals principally with Divine Revelation, but also with other revelations, known as private revelations.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13001a.htm God created man to know, love and serve him,http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p6.htm#358 and as such the theology of revelation is so important to every Christian that it is the first sacred science they learn - "I believe in God, the Father Almighty...", "We believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty..."http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/credo.htm - and is so important to every man that, as part of Divine Revelation, God created the world to reflect his Goodness,http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p5.htm#337 created each person with a desire to know the truth,http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a8.htm#2467 became man to be man's teacher and modelhttp://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p1.htm#458 and to be the fullness and mediator of Divine Revelation,http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a1.htm#65 and commanded the Catholic Church to teach all nations about his teachings.http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm#849 Divine Revelation Revelation, also known as Divine Revelation, Public Revelation, Fundamental Revelation, Sacred Deposit of the Faith, or the Rule of Faith, is the Sacred Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition, the written and unwritten Word of God, and is Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God made man. Whereas revelation is the communication of a divine truth, Divine Revelation is the self-communication of God (Divine) to all men (Public) and is the foundation of Christianity (Fundamental), the sum of all divine truths (Deposit of Faith), and the measure of living faith (Rule of Faith). Divine Revelation is obligary and must be lived by all Catholics. The written Word of God or the Sacred Scriptures or the Bible is the collection of 73 infallible and inspired sacred books, which were written by God through human authors and are interpreted by God through the bishops. When Jesus Christ and the Apostles speak of the Scriptures, they refer to the Old Testament or Jewish Scriptures. The unwritten Word of God or the Apostolic Tradition or the Tradition of the Church is the living transmission of the written Word by God through the Apostles and their successors. The local traditions of particular churches are not Sacred Tradition itself but are a part of Sacred Tradition. Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, has joined God and man in his Divine Person, has fulfilled the Old Testament, has completed and perfected Divine Revelation, has instituted the New Covenant, and has said everything there is be said about God. Only Divine Revelation has Divine Authority, and Divine Revelation ended with the death of the Apostles, and there will never be a new Revelation. This both means God now leads the Church into a deeper understanding of Revelation through private revelations, according to his promise of leading the Church into all truths, and means no private revelation is obligary, whereby no one can disobey the Church in favor of obeying private revelation. Private Revelation Private revelation, also known as personal revelation, is a message from God, sometimes sent through a saint or an angel, that helps people live more fully by Divine Revelation at a certain period in history or at a certain time in life. It can sometimes include prophecies or new devotions, deepen older devotions or emphasize divine truths. When a message is judged as being worthy of belief by the local bishop, it is a private revelation. A private revelation conforms completely with the Catholic Faith and it may be published and given devotion by the faithful. Private revelations can receive the full approval of the Church, which includes the positive judgment of the bishop, the devotion of the faithful, the acknowledgment of the Pope, and the recognizition of the liturgy. Before being judged as worthy of belief, a message is an alleged revelation or supposed revelation. An alleged revelation may not be published or given devotion by the faithful. The local bishop, because he has, as the vicar of Christ, the right and duty to judge all material concerning faith or morals, must discern a message according to the practice of Norme Congregationis. A bishop discerns the good and bad fruits of an alleged revelation. He is given divine assistance, and his judgment falls under the Ordinary Magisterium of a bishop, which is authoritive but not infallible yet requires the religious submission of mind and will. Good fruits include moral certainty, good character (humility, obedience, etc.), conformity to the Catholic Faith, and spiritual fruits (prayer, conversion, charity, etc.). Bad fruits include glaring errors about the event, bad character (sexual immorality, disobedience, etc.), doctrinal errors, monetary pursuit, and mental illness, manipulation, demonic possession, and drug abuse. Because a private revelation is free of doctrinal errors, it can be an apparition, a vision, a locution, or an inspiration from God, even through an angel or saint in Heaven. But it cannot be occultism, such as spiritism, automatic writing, psychic powers, magic, divinization, or conjuring the dead. If the local bishop finds any bad fruit, he gives the message a negative judgment: condemnation. A condemned revelation may not be published or given devotion by the faithful. However, the bishop or his successor could overturn a previous judgment, either positive or negative, since neither judgment is infallible and since a private revelation has human authority (that is, a human person received the revelation) and people can make mistakes. Contrary to popular belief, the Church has not authorized the faithful to publish alleged revelations without the bishop's positive judgment and the Church does not teach that a private revelation is obligary or a priority in Christian life. No private revelation is a part of Divine Revelation and no private revelation can equal, surpass, correct, improve, fulfill, perfect, or complete Divine Revelation. Notes